The awards will run alongside The GA's successful Gift of The Year competition. The final decision in the new awards will be made by the end consumers, creating a whole new audience for the products to be judged by. The new competitions will run throughout the year and, compared to the existing entry options, will award seasonal winners across Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. This creates fantastic exposure for companies looking to promote their products and ranges to get a totally different viewpoint on their gifts.
The exciting collaboration between The GA and The Insights People arose from a mutual interest in supporting the industry. The Insights People is a Manchester-based tech company which surveys 20,000 different children and 10,000 different parents in the UK each year. It already provides industry reports and works with global brands such as Disney and the BBC. The GA similarly supports the Industry through its Gift of The Year competition, Meet the Buyer days, trade shows, government lobbying and a host of services and benefits to help members adapt to the changing socio-economic environment.
“We have been looking at ways to grow Gift of the Year to be more than the annual competition it is, celebrating all the fantastic products we see at all the shows we visit. Our conversations with The Insights People about how we can work together to support our members quickly grew organically into the new competitions we are due to launch. We are extremely excited to be working alongside The Insights People as we share the same ethos in supporting the industry.” Sarah Ward, CEO, The Giftware Association.
Nick Richardson, CEO of The Insights People, added: “Since launching The Insights People in 2017, we have gained fantastic traction working with brands and publishers. We are already welcoming several major retailers for 2019 and are excited to be launching an award that reflects consumer opinion and gives an extra level of confidence to those launching new products and pitching to buyers.” Entries for both awards will be open from the beginning of December and will run throughout the year. The winners will receive an industry report, marketing collateral and the chance to attend a networking lunch with buyers and industry peers. Winning products will join the stand in the Gift of the Year pavilion at Spring Fair.
To find out more, visit www.kidsgiftoftheyear.co.uk and www.parentsgiftoftheyear.co.uk
